


Feel the sting

by turva_auto



Series: Jääkiekko - ice hockey [13]
Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Animal Transformation, Embedded Images, Hedgehogs, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Magical Realism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-15
Updated: 2016-05-15
Packaged: 2018-06-08 15:41:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6861127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/turva_auto/pseuds/turva_auto
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>a tumblr prompt getting out of hand, leading to adventures of hedgehog!Kaner</p>
            </blockquote>





	Feel the sting

**Author's Note:**

> prompt: "I never thought you’d hurt me but I was wrong. You hurt me the most.”

 

  


 

Jonny and Kaner had a fight - a stupid one on top of that, or maybe not so stupid, but it started with Jonny being weird and having a sort of gay mid life crisis right in Kaner’s face. Well that didn’t go down too well, as he slammed his way out of Kaner’s condo upon hearing that: YES! His so far considered bro, best friend, best player buddy - whatever you call it - was actually emotionally invested. Patrick Kane was in love with him and okay Jonathan totally needed time to freak out about this. Patrick was in fucking love with him like not the crush sort of love like seriously committed to Jonny’s stupid everything!

* * *

 

Things might have been easier, if he had chosen to not listen in on Patrick and Erica talking on the phone. There must have been a reason Kaner had gone to the bathroom for so long, to answer the call of his sister, when he usually would sit right next to Jonny without batting an eyelash and shot the shit with her, whether Jonny was present or not. So maybe, just maybe it was Jonny’s fault too - a tiny little bit. And no, him needing to piss didn’t work as the excuse of the day, because he had been eavesdropping on purpose and Kaner had known the second he had stepped out of the bathroom, coming face to face with his bewildered captain screaming right into his face.

When Kaner actually missed skate the next morning and coach asked Jonny about it, the center realized that, well he had some fixing to do. He had fucked up, he knew, since he stayed up all night going over the scene he caused in his head, but as terrible as the face off had been, it wasn’t enough to miss skate. And Patty never NEVER missed skate! There be earthquakes, wildfires and tornadoes, but nothing kept Patrick Kane from hockey, ever!

Jonny hopped into the shower with a sigh, coming up with a plan on how to win his friend over again, mapping out the perfect apology. If he was honest with himself, it was also duty making him stop by Kaner’s place after practice, because there was a game tomorrow and well shit would go down, if Kaner missed that one.

Jonathan knocked, and yelled and knocked again at the apartment door, but nothing happened. No sounds of footsteps, no sniffling, no anything! Dead silence and the longer he was waiting for Patrick to: “open the goddamn door, you moron. I know you are home you little shit!” the more nervous he got. One of Patrick’s neighbors was already peeking out of her door, curious about the commotion Jonny was causing, and he really didn’t want to make it too much of a scene, so he grabbed the spare key from his duffle and actually unlocked Kaner’s condo.

“Kaner? Patrick?” Jonny called out into the darkness, straining his ears to pick up, where his right winger was hiding, but no sound. This got creepy really fast and Jonny worried, that maybe Kaner was out, but he know all his stupid sneakers by heart and not one pair was missing. So Kaner had to be home.

“Patrick! Come on let’s talk. I’m sorry okay. Stop mopping around.” Jonny called, as he checked the living room, bathroom and kitchen without a sign of life. Well there was not much room left for Kaner to hide, so he knocked on the ajar bedroom door, before stepping in. It looked messy, like Kaner had thrown a fit in there. His suitcase was open and a couple of clothes of his wardrobe were messily piled on top, as if he had been packing in a haste, but never finished. The bed was unmade and there were a couple of glass shards in front of his dresser around a knocked down photo frame. Kaner must have been really pissed, no wonder after their fight, Jonny thought. But there still was no body on the floor or hiding under the bed.

“Patrick?” Jonny called just to check once more, with a frown on his face, as he heard the sheets on Patrick’s bed rustling and a faint sound.

“What the fuck?” Jonathan muttered, switching on the lights, despite the afternoon sun streaming in through the windows. Kaner never had any pets and this just got super creepy. He approached the bed slowly, raising the edge of the blanket carefully, before dragging it back to the foot of the bed. He could see movement near Patrick’s pillow and sounds of something scratching against the linen fabric.

“I swear to god Patrick if you own a spider or snake or whatever the fuck and this thing will bite me…” he murmured, stepping closer to investigate, dragging one pillow to the side, so only one was left. There was a little shadow under one corner of the leftover pillow and Jonny gulped in air before throwing the other pillow off the bed too. A squeal echoed in the silence of the room, as he laid eyes on a small prickly ball - a hedgehog.

“Kaner! Seriously? What the fuck!” Jonny cursed as the tiny ball squealed in protest.

“Hey you.” Jonny murmured poking the hedgehog with his finger, as it prickled up at the touch. “Ouch! Fuck. Hey stop doing this, okay? That fucking hurts.” Jonny complained, trying to pick up the hedgehog again. But of course the animal was not listening, curled in tight on himself as Jonny rolled him carefully on the palm of his hand to bring him up to his face, trying to deal with the prickly feeling of the spikes digging into the meat of his palm.

“You know, where the fuckwit went?” The animal prickled up extra hard in Jonny’s palm, making him hiss in pain. “Okay buddy. You know where Kaner is?” the hedgehog squeaked.

Jonny just frowned in response. What had even happened to him, he was sitting in Kaner’s condo talking to a little hedgehog, he had no idea where he came from and demanding answers from the animal, even though he knew he wouldn’t get any.

“What even is my life?” Jonny groaned, looking at the little ball of spikes in his hands. He could feel the hedgehog sniffle at his hand, the tiny nose on his skin, sending shivers up his spine.

“What am I supposed to do with you?” Jonny asked the room at large, letting one finger stroke softly over the needle cushion in his hand. The hedgehog squeaked again, uncurling a tiny bit, so his eyes were blinking up at Jonathan, wiggling a little on Jonny’s hand.

“You probably are hungry and thirsty, huh buddy?” The hedgehog wiggled again as if to confirm Jonny’s question with the motion resembling a nod. “Okay, let’s get you sorted out. What do hedgehogs even eat?” Jonny muttered to himself, pulling out his Iphone to do a quick google search.” Well cat food was out of option, at least for now. But maybe he could find some fruits and veggies in Kaner’s fridge. That would do for now, an egg was suggested as another option. Jonny put his phone back and carried the little sniffling hedgehog to Kaner’s kitchen, as he went looking through his friends stock. Well there was enough booze to last a lifetime (or one team party) and luckily some fruits and veggies in the fridge. Jonny placed the small guy on the breakfast bar, making a little ring out of mugs around him, to stop him from falling of the edge, while he cut up some of the stuff, putting it on a saucer.

The mugs behind him rattled and clinked, making Jonny turn around to check on the small hedgehog, who was now sitting in one of the coffee mugs as if it was his personal throne, sniffling cutely.

  


 

“Dude, you sniffle just like Kaner, when he comes off the ice.” Jonny laughed, placing the saucer on the breakfast bar, before sitting down on one of the bar stools. Watching the hedgehog huff and wiggle around, before the mug crashed to the side, allowing the hedgehog to crawl out of it.

“Got your little ass stuck in there?” Jonny mused, watching the spikes go up in protest. “Seriously, do you understand what I say?” the hedgehog glanced at Jonny, before turning around with his nose up high, waddling over to the saucer, inspecting the food Jonny had bought him and sniffling at the other saucer Jonny had filled with water, as if daring him to ask even more stupid stuff. “You are just as arrogant as Patrick sometimes.” Jonny laughed, poking the hedgehog again and snatching his finger away, as the little guy tried to bite him.

“Okay seriously now. Don’t look at me like that, you can keep eating buddy! But you obviously weren’t here before, you can’t be Kaner’s pet, otherwise he would have cat food here somewhere, or at least i would have seen you before. Also I’m pretty sure Patrick wouldn’t let you sleep in his bed. Which let’s be honest is kind of gross.” The hedgehog was waggling his little back across the stony surface of the bar. “You are not!” Jonny exclaimed, picking the protesting hedgehog up, who tried to snatch for his fingers, salad leaf hanging halfway out of his little snout like Kaner would do with his mouth guard.

“Okay, yes sorry! I thought you were going to do business, you know. Kaner would kill me. But Kaner is not here and just oh god this sounds so crazy but are you?” Jonny’s amber eyes looked down at the small prickly ball in his hand, who was still chewing on the side of the leaf sticking out of his mouth, before, rolling on his side, rubbing his spikes up against Jonny’s thumb.

“You, wow you are Kaner?” Jonny asked baffled, getting something that would totally look like a super annoyed look for asking again, before the hedgehog, waddled of his fingers and back to the saucer, picking on some apple slices with his little paws and started going down on them.

Jonny huffed a sigh. He felt as if stuck on a drug ride, as he pulled out his phone, dialing Donna Kane’s number.

“Hello? Jonny is this you?”

“Hello Donna.” Jonny sighed.

“Oh dear, what’s up? You sound upset.”

“Well there is a little bit of a problem.” Jonny started,

“Okay, tell me about it. Maybe I can help.” Donna said and he could hear her move around the house.

“Like does Patrick do strange things sometimes?” he asked unsure, getting an apple slice against his picky, as if the little hedgehog was trying to slap him with it, for saying something like this,

“Patrick does weird stuff all the time, dear. Hard to say if there is anything special about it.” Donna laughed,

“Well, okay don’t laugh but does he like turn into a little hedgehog sometimes?”

“Oh!” Donna went silent for a moment.

“Donna? Sorry I asked, it’s just…I don’t do drugs okay…” Jonny started to apologize, before Donna spoke over him.

“Well, no no dear it’s okay. You are not high, but Patrick hasn’t done this in years. It’s a little quirk running in the family.”

“So he did this before?” Jonny asked carefully.

“Jonny, he usually only changes if something is totally stressing him out or something happened, that hurt his feelings causing him high emotional distress. So I’m really surprised about your call. Patrick was having his control skills down to a science. What happened?”

“So this little guy here, is really Patrick?” Jonny asked again, snapping a picture, whatsapping it to Donna. He could hear her tapping on the phone for a second before her voice came back on.

“That’s definitely Patrick, he has the one black hind paw. That’s how we could keep him and Jess apart, when they were kids.”

“Okay.” Jonny drawled. “And how long does it last?”

“Just take care of him like you would of a usual hedgehog, even though this little guy loves mac n cheese and chocolate very much, more than his healthy for him. He should turn back eventually if he is done coping with whatever set him off. Don’t worry dear.” Donna said.

“Urgh, but we have a game.” Jonny protested.

“Well, you don’t need to tell me Jonny. If you guys had a fight or whatever, try talking to him. He understands you. Maybe apologize and Patrick will be back before long.” Donna suggested.

“Okay. Will do, Donna. Thank you.” Jonny said, frowning as he watched Kaner trying to climb back into the coffee mug, setting it off to roll. “Oh no you little guy, no more playing with the mugs. This is not a goddamn suicide commando.” Jonny childed, which made Donna laugh in return before she had hung up on him.

Jonny picked up the protesting ball of spikes and stared him down in awe. If he wouldn’t know better Kaner was straight out pouting at him as if he wanted to say: “You ruin the fun in everything, Tazer.” Jonny carried him over to the living room, sitting down on the couch with the the hedgehog on his chest. “I think I need to look up more about hedgehog care. We don’t want you dying.” he commented, watching Kaner climbing up his shirt and feeling the tiny paws dig into the material for leverage. While reading Jonny realized, that well he had to take Kaner shopping, if he stayed like that for longer they needed some cat litter and more food. Kaner had successfully climbed mount Jonny and was snuggling his snout along Jonathan’s neck sniffing at him. “Oh god, this is s weird and it tickles.” Jonny laughed, poking Patrick to make him stop, which only caused him to curl up and dig his spines in the soft skin.

“Ouch, Kaner!” Jonny whined and couldn’t help himself but slapped out at the little guy, causing him to roll off onto the couch, where he crawled under one of the stray pillows, hiding away.

“Jesus, that hurt, okay I’m sorry buddy. I really didn’t mean to. Are you hurt?” Jonny asked worried, trying to get Kaner out from under the cushion, where he was hiding squeaking at him angrily.

“Hey, I’m sorry okay But if you prickle up like that you are going to give me hedgehog rash. That really stung like a motherfucker.” Jonny complained, trying to grab for Patrick, but only getting bitten in his fingers. He obviously was pissed at him. Jonny groaned in frustration.

“Patrick! You are just as complicated as your human self. Can’t you just turn back and smack me in the face or something?” Jonny muttered, lifting the stray pillow to reveal a pouting hedgehog blinking up at him.

“Okay, you are not. I get it. So I’m going to go get you stuff and you will come with me, whether you want or not.” Jonny grabbed his shoes and got his jacket, stuffing the hedgehog into his jacket pocket and keeping his hand over it securely to keep him from escaping. The animal protested, scratching his paws across the material and trying to bit Jonny again.

“Yeah I know I suck buddy, I got it, but I don’t trust you on your own. Look at you? You wouldn’t even had anything to eat without me and we just go to the store around the corner, making it quick. Be glad I take you with to decide on your food yourself.” Jonny grumbled, trudging down the sidewalk to the closest supermarket.

He picked up some dry cat food, which was a hell of a debate of Kaner nudging his fingers, before settling on one brand, some kitty litter and a small box as well as some more fruits and vegetables he approved on the app he had found.

It was cold outside and when they returned, Patrick wasn’t protesting much as Jonny pulled him out of the pocket, looking more sleepy than anything. Maybe hedgehog’s were getting tired easily? Jonny would need to read up on it. He put Patrick down on the pillow in the bedroom, watching him settle in sniffling, before he went to put the stuff away and set up the litter box.

He climbed into bed next to his friend watching the hedgehog blink slowly up at him, as he scrolled through his phone’s web browser for answers to his questions.

“You tired bud?” Jonny poked him just for good measure, but Patrick just blinked at him slowly, not even prickling up a tiny bit, which worried Jonny. According to google hedgehog’s didn#t like the cold and it hit him like a wall that okay maybe he had caused Patrick harm by exposing him to the cold temperatures out there.

“You cold Kaner?” Jonny asked, watching the hedgehog making a face at him, before picking him up and putting him on his chest. “Okay bud, if you promise to behave and not give me a rash for days you can snuggle up.” Jonny said, shoving the tiny hedgehog up to the V-line of his shirt, tugging the fabric aside to help him crawl underneath, settling on Jonathan’s chest with a sniffle, tummy all stretched out, paws gently resting on Tazer’s muscles.

“You better like this?” Jonny, cupped the back of Kaner with the palm of his hand, holding him close, feeling the tiny animal shivering against the touch of his fingertips. “You are quite a handful and I almost killed you. I’m really sorry. I’m not the best in hedgehog care but for you I’m going to be, I promise.” Jonny whispered. “I don’t know why you turned into a hedgy to start with, but I know that you were pretty hurt after our fight. I get that. So if this is all about that. I’m really sorry.” Jonny apologized, feeling Kaner nuzzle his nose deeper into his chest. Maybe that would be enough for now. The captain was a little beat after all the news input himself and when hedgehog Kaner decided that taking a nap on Jonny’s chest to warm up was needed, there was no one protesting of Jonny taking a nap too.

Jonny was woken up by tiny paws digging into his chest and Kaner sniffing along his neck, making adorable little noises.

“Wow, you good bud? Had a nice nap, eh.” Patrick squeaked, rolling his hind paws up on Jonny, making his spikes catch across the soft skin. “Wow, easy. That hurts. What do you need?” Jonny asked sleepily, setting Patrick down into his litter box, looking at him expectantly. He was shuffling around and glaring at Jonny as if to say: Stop looking, I can’t take care of business if you are looking.

Toews rolled over on his back, pretending to study Kaner’s ceiling, as listened to the little hedgehog room and scratch in the makeshift litter box, before squeaking again as if to say: I’m done, pick me up you loser!

“What about I give you a bath? You know, with you having probably peed yourself and stuff.” Jonny suggested, earning a long squawk in response. Patrick wasn’t too happy about the prospect of a bath from the look of things, but Tazer had the hedgehog ABC down to a science already, choosing the perfect temperature for the water, before slowly putting Patrick inside the bathroom sink. He made a sound that almost sounded like “Oh!” as he uncurled a bit and felt himself float around.

“Told you this would be your thing.” Jonny smiled, watching Patrick paddle around happily.

  


 

It had been two weeks of Patrick being scratched with an upper body injury without further news, since he hadn’t turned back so far and explaining to the team went down easier than Jonny would have guessed. Everyone was coming over to get a good look at their right winging hedgehog. Jonny traveled to road games with Patrick curled up in his button down, the trainers looking after him, while Jonny was on the ice. He had Shawzy down for the job first, since he was out with a day to day but after coming back to the hotel to a vomiting, almost dying hedgehog - seriously it scared Jonny so much he took Patrick to the emergency Vet - just because Shawzy thought it be funny to let the tiny guy sip on Vodka: “Hey Jonny it’s Kaner after all!” - “He’s a fucking hedgehog you fucking idiot! You could have killed him!”

Well needless to say Jonny never let Shawzy take care of Kaner again after that.

Bath and cuddle time seemed to be Patrick’s favorites and Jonny’s too, he even got weak allowing him some mac n cheese after a spectacular win against Dallas. He hadn’t even known hedgehogs were able to burp, but that’s exactly what Kaner did after nibbling his way through mac n cheese with Jonny. It was disgustingly cute - not that Jonny would tell of course. But the longer Kaner was stuck as an animal, the more Jonathan worried. Talking to Kaner had turned into cuddling him close and confessing most of his sins and stuff he thought he had done wrong by the 3rd week mark.

Donna assured him that Kaner would listen and understand, even if Jonny suspected the little shit was sleeping on purpose through at least half of Jonny’s rants. That was until he started talking about the fight they had, before Kaner turned into a tiny hedgehog version, that was totally pulling on Jonny’s heartstrings.

Jonathan was a little buzzed from two beers, lounging on Patrick’s couch with the hedgehog curled up on his abs, talking feelings - yeah Jonathan Toews was talking feelings in his drunken state, apology after apology running from his lips like water, even accompanied by a few tears. Because Patrick needed to know, that Jonny just freaked out on him, because he was actually having the same feelings. Caring for hedgehog Kaner had given him time to think about how much he missed Patrick and what the little blonde curled guy with those amazing blue eyes really meant to him. He was sure by now that his heart was just as invested as Patrick’s had been, even if Jonny had been too stupid to realize it at the time.

“You know bud, I just want you back. I want to hug you all better.” Jonny sobbed, cradling the tiny guy closer, a few tears wetting Kaner’s spikes as he prickled up a little in Jonny’s tight grip, watching the bigger guy drift off into a drunken slumber.

When Jonny woke up hungover the next morning, body twisted awkwardly on the couch, feeling hot all over and a heavy weight on his side, he realized that Patrick was lying next to him. Patrick in human form, draped across Jonny’s heavy limbs like a big spoon.

“I never thought you’d hurt me but I was wrong. You hurt me the most.” Patrick whispered into Jonny’s neck. “But I also know, that you never meant for this to happen. You showed me so much love even though I was a tiny hedgehog, driving you up the walls.” Jonny couldn’t help but snort a little laugh, letting Kaner know he had heard him.   
  
“I love you, dumbass.” Patrick kicked him in the shin for the curse, just like hedgehog him would have prickled up. “I love you even as a hedgehog, just maybe warn a guy next time. I guess your mom got half a heart attack when I called her.”


End file.
